


Paul Revere

by kanzenhanzai



Category: Saiyuki
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Western, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-12-05
Updated: 2009-12-05
Packaged: 2017-10-04 04:21:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,675
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25897
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kanzenhanzai/pseuds/kanzenhanzai
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A Minekura-esque American West reincarnation story about the meeting of Henry Marshall and Grant Bedford. Male/male sex implied.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Paul Revere

Henry Marshall surveyed the saloon, looking for an empty seat. The only space remained the stool next to a man at the very end of the bar. He hung back, wondering if it was happenstance or the man's personality creating the little bubble of space in the otherwise busy room. Or perhaps it was that Henry wasn't the only one strongly reminded of dried blood by the man's dark red hair. Mentally he gave himself a light smack as Cynthia would have were she with him and privy to his thoughts.

He was beginning to think his sister had a point about his morbid nature. Ah well, the red-haired cowboy didn't look all that intimidating from where Henry stood, and he was getting rather thirsty.

Henry nodded at the man as he seated himself and received a grunt in return. By the time the barkeep came around with Henry's second drink, his company - Grant, who it turned out was not in fact a cowboy - had become friendlier, even to the point of sharing his last name.

Henry could only assume that Grant had been at the saloon for quite a while already. The young man had become quite willing to talk to Henry after Henry had pressed an introduction, though he didn't appear drunk. Still, his camaraderie would make sudden, but just as quickly discarded, shifts into wariness and he'd eye the saloon's other patrons as if expecting a fight. His admission that he'd normally be with the sharps at the card tables had tailed off into an unfinished sentence as he scowled at his bourbon.

Despite these mood swings, Henry had felt comfortable enough to share some of his own story - mostly the part about having run out of money long before he showed up in the saloon. So far, Henry had found that most customers would take pity on a stranger at least once, but he was prepared to make a run for it if Grant decided this was the fight that had been looking for him.

"Mr. Bedford," Henry began carefully, an eye on Grant's mood and a hand on his forearm. "I do hate to be rude, but I was hoping that perhaps given your lack of other company, you might be able to afford to pay for a new friend's drink - or four ?"

Grant glanced at the hand lightly grasping his arm. It was strong, sunburnt rather than tanned, and not as interesting as the other hand still lying across its owners lap. That one was holding a pistol that hadn't been there earlier.

Grant sighed and signaled to the bartender.

"Ain't you supposed to ask that sort of thing before you order the first drink? And put that thing away before you catch someone's attention."

"Oh. Yes. Of course," Henry said, eyes wide as if he hadn't realized he'd pulled the gun out in the first place.

"So." Grant drew the word out, rearranging himself on his stool so he could watch Henry and try to catch the barkeep's eye at the same time. "Was that a threat or just... insurance?"

"Insurance," Henry assured him. "I find it's easier to slip out of an establishment if I have a hand on my, er, heavier possessions."

Grant just raised an eyebrow at him. "You're an odd stick."

"I suppose."

They sat in silence for a bit until the murmurs from the poker tables turned into shouts and an overturned chair. Some of the men around the bar went to join in the scuffle and Grant announced he was leaving.

"Get yourself something to eat before you go," he said to Henry and slapped a few more bills onto the bar top. "Maybe I'll see you around somewhere."

Henry thanked him and tried to say goodbye but the fight wasn't moving out the door fast enough and he doubted the other man heard him over it. He waited until the sawdust had settled before pocketing Henry's money and heading for the door himself. If he was lucky, he would be sleeping indoors tonight.

*****

Honestly, Henry should have known better. At least he hadn't mentioned exactly how much money he'd had on him. Though he supposed a barn qualified as a roof over his head, it certainly wasn't worth even the amount he had admitted to.

The man of the house chattered happily as he led Henry past a vegetable patch and towards a structure looming in the twilight, which Henry could only assume was the promised sleeping quarters.

"I'm surprised it wasn't Silas who sent you," his host was saying. "He's the one travelers usually try first, you know. It's that sign in his window, misleading, you know."

Henry had tuned him out not long after the Missus of the house had told Henry he wasn't to touch anything growing in the gardens and practically shoved both him and her husband off the porch.

The man ushered Henry through the doors of the barn with an odd flourish before abandoning him to his accommodations. Unsurprisingly it smelled of hay and animals. Something large snorted wetly in the darkness.

"You look familiar," a voice said from above him, making Henry jump. A figure swung onto one of the loft ladders and dropped down in front of him. As Henry's eyes adjusted, he realized it was his benefactor from the saloon.

"Ah. You surprised me, Mr. Bedford. No one mentioned I wasn't the only guest tonight."

Grant grinned, his teeth oddly blue in the faint light filtering through the holes in the roof. "Nah, they don't know I'm back here. But I reckoned you wouldn't turn me in, not after I was so kind as to buy you drink." Grant eyed him shrewdly. "But not food? You're still too pale under that sunburn. You didn't eat, did you?"

Henry flushed, slightly embarrassed at being caught out, but admitted that no, he had not eaten.

"Potato?" Grant asked, reaching into a pocket and tossing something over. Henry caught it automatically before he could even answer.

*****

Grant proved to be just as friendly in the barn as in the saloon and much less wary. They lay on their backs up in the loft, Grant's potato stock long since finished. It seemed that he was traveling much like Henry and had run into some self-made bad luck.

"'Been making money gambling," he explained. "But I had some fuss with one a' the big men in my last town. Or uh, I guess the fuss was more with his daughter." Grant ducked his head against his chest almost sheepishly and mumbled, "and then his wife."

Henry coughed and rolled to look at Grant who was adamantly not looking back. "The daughter, all right. That was on purpose. But I didn't realize the other one was his wife! She told me her husband was dead." Grant glanced over at Henry with a quick grin. "Turned out she meant it metaphorical-like."

"Her man, though, he tried to paint me as a real hard case. Didn't want to admit his real problem with me - claimed I was a card cheat instead." Grant scowled. "I was lucky to get outta that town with all my parts."

Henry reached out and laid his hand on Grant's arm, lightly, as he had back in the saloon. A moment passed and Grant laid his free hand on top of Henry's. Silence sat between them and Henry half-expected the animals below them to break out in an argument.

"So why are you traveling?" Grant asked eventually. "You're not a gambler, and that gun aside, you look like you should be inside a schoolhouse, not the jailhouse."

Henry laughed in a way that was probably meant to be lightly. "A husband figures into it for me too."

"Oh really?" Henry wasn't quite certain what the look on Grant's face was, but he felt confident enough to catch his hand when he went to move it from atop Henry's.

"My sister's husband, as a matter of fact." Henry paused even though he'd long ago picked the most prudent wording of events. "I - _disapproved_ \- of the match. I was the only one in the family who did, and I was, admittedly, rather vocal about it. In the end... I was asked by Nicholas to leave town. For the sake of the family."

He could feel Grant looking at him, but it was his turn not to make eye contact.

"Nicholas is her husband, then?"

"Yes. Nicholas Mackenzie."

Henry gave in and looked at Grant. He was clearly wondering what Henry wasn't saying, but at least it appeared he wouldn't be asking any questions. In fact, from the way Grant was purposefully, if carefully, moving closer, Henry suspected there might not be much more talking.

"You, uh - "

"Oh, yes," said Henry and rolled to meet Grant half way.

*****

When they left together in the morning, Henry was feeling much more kindly towards his sleeping quarters.

"Travel with me," Grant had asked. "I promise to keep feeding you. And I reckon Paul can manage us both."

"Paul?"

"My horse. He's in the woods over yonder."

Henry blinked and stared into the distance where Grant had jerked a thumb.

"There's nothing wrong with naming a horse Paul," snapped Grant.

Henry blinked again, then shrugged. "Would you mind if we stop at the General Store before we head out? I've been out of bullets since the last town."

*****

Henry Marshall surveyed the saloon, looking for two empty seats. Grant had already hitched Paul to the post outside and was now standing beside Henry and staring at him in bemusement. The only spaces left were on either side of a young blond man who Grant would surely peg as a Bible sort - and would probably say as much as soon as they were within earshot - though their current disreputable location was too unlikely a one to find a preacher.

Grant nudged him, "C'mon. What? You know him or something?"

"Not yet," replied Henry, hoping for the best as he started towards the bar.

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the 2008 Choose Your Own Adventure Challenge and inspired by the Beastie Boys' [Paul Revere](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tEM3dW2oWW4).  
> Sanzo and Goku appear in the (as-yet unfinished) director's cut as Grace (Goku) and Gideon (Sanzo). In the end, all four of our heroes ride off together ...mostly because Grace is about to get them all arrested after having robbed a saloon.


End file.
